Eyes
by Daryl-Dixons-Gurl
Summary: He knew it hurt her that they never made eye contact, but if he did that she would truly see him, and he did not want to be seen. A Caryl story about what ones eyes can reveal. Daryl/Carol
1. Chapter 1

Carol Peletier was broken. Inside and out. And it would never change. She had been this way since a young age. But at least back then she had been strong. She had hid the broken girl away deep within herself. But then, everything had changed when she met Ed. He had broken down all of her walls and found the girl within. And they had fallen in love. He had held her through those rough nights and muttered soft words to her. She was so in love with him that she agreed to marry him. Things were blissful; until Ed lost the best job he ever had and got to drinking. And when Peletier men got to drinking, they got to hitting. And Carol had been at the end of that force. She had been the one to endure it all, until she got pregnant. Then Ed stopped, he may have hated Carol – for he blamed his job loss on her – but he knew not to hit a pregnant woman. And if truth be told, he had always wanted a little baby boy. But, Carol had a miscarriage and he hit her more. And forced sex upon her. He wanted a baby boy. And then she got pregnant the second time. But what came of this one, was not what Ed wanted. Sophia was born and it only infuriated the alcoholic more and he began to not only hit Carol, but once little Sophia was a decent age, he hit her too. He hated them so much.

* * *

The apocalypse broke out, and Carol thought that maybe, just maybe, Ed would stop his abusive ways and they would survive together. But she had been wrong. Ed was just as bad, maybe worse. Even when they met up with other survivors and made a camp in a rock quarry, he still hit Carol and Sophia. There was just no reprieve. The only upside, it happened late at night, and he would not dare lay a hand on her when the others were around. Especially not when Shane was around, he was, after all, a cop.

* * *

As Carol began to open up to the women of the group, her eyes fell upon Daryl Dixon. A rough and tough redneck that had arrived with his older, douche of a brother, Merle. Daryl was like his brother in some ways, but in other ways, he was his own person and it was obvious he didn't like the way Merle acted. Carol liked to watch Daryl, especially when he didn't think anyone else was looking. Because that was when she could really get a look at whom he truly was. And she liked what she saw. She saw a lost soul just like herself. An abused soul who just needed someone to understand and care. And Daryl sure as hell wasn't getting it from Merle. And Carol would never receive it from Ed…never again.

* * *

Even after everything Ed had ever done to her, Carol still loved him. Because when she looked into his eyes, she saw the boy that she had fallen in love with. And that is why, when Shane beat Ed almost to death, she had been so devastated because she still saw the old Ed. The one who loved her unconditionally, and looked passed her scars and held her as she cried. When he got attacked by walkers and they were disposing of bodies, she went up to Daryl who was smashing brains in with a pickaxe. He was about to go at Ed's head when she stopped it. And wordlessly took the pickaxe from him and held it firmly. She felt tears well up in her eyes and a sob escape her throat as she realized it was truly over. He would never hold her in his arms, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, and take care of her. It was all over, and to prove the finality she smashed his brains in with the pickaxe, crying the whole time.

* * *

That was the day Daryl Dixon truly noticed Carol Peletier. He had known of her existence, and nodded politely at her in camp, but he had never truly noticed her. She was just one of the many other faces and mouths to feed. Her and that kid of her's. He knew she was abused, but what could he do about it? It wasn't his business, and he sure as hell wasn't going to make it his business. He knew the feeling and did sympathize for them a little, but not enough to keep true tabs on them. Until that day when Carol took the pickaxe and smashed her husband's brains in.

* * *

Daryl had always felt her eyes upon him, but he never gave it a second thought. He just ignored her and occasionally turned to her and nodded at her a little. But he never made a big deal about it. And he most certainly never felt the need to shoot sneaking glances back at her. Until now. He found himself very intrigued by the now single mother. She seemed to clutch to Rick and Lori, maybe because the two kids were friends, but Daryl figured it was because Lori had decided to take them under her wing and take care of them. Daryl rolled his eyes at it a little. He wanted to find it disgusting, but he couldn't. For some strange reason, he couldn't. And deep within he wanted it to be him they clung to.

* * *

Daryl was good at seeing a person's true self. It was one of his many talents. And Carol was no exception. He saw the abused woman she was. And he saw that she had always been abused. Just like himself. He saw that her soul was lost and searching for another to walk with. And he knew his soul could be the ticket to safety for her, but he didn't know what to do about it. Honestly what could he do about it? Nothing.

* * *

Even on the safe farm, Carol felt unprotected. She always watched her back and kept a knife with her. It was precautionary, and one could never be sure. She had nothing to live for. Ed was long gone and now Sophia was gone too. Carol had just gotten over the shock of the loss and was finally joining the gang once again. Her world was gone and she was left to wander it, forever alone. She glanced across the field to where Daryl had made his new camp. He had ditched them since Sophia had come out of the barn and it only made Carol feel more alone.

* * *

Daryl sat by his little campfire, his back leaned against the dilapidated chimney. His eyes were closed and he could feel the wind blowing through his hair as he fought the scream that wanted to burst forth. He had failed her. The one thing he wanted to do for the woman, and he had failed. He'd promised not only himself, but her that he would find her daughter and return her to the woman. But he couldn't even do that. What use was he to them now? They had all had hope in him, and he had let them all down. Daryl could still feel the way Carol broke in his arms as he held her to stop her from running at her daughter. He could feel all of her breaking in his arms. It was unbearable. He hated it. It had even broken him, the sight of the young girl walking out of the barn. She had been with them the whole time. And no one had even known.

* * *

Carol watched as Daryl came over to join them. He awkwardly sat down across the fire from Carol. She smiled a little at Lori who was handing her a small bowl of food. "Thank you." She whispered to her as she took the fork from her as well. Lori nodded and sat down between Carol and Rick. The whole group sat there in silence, eating their food, not sure what they should talk about. Shane was glaring at Rick and Lori and Glenn kept glancing at the Greene house. It was obvious none of them really wanted to be sitting there. Carol shook the negative aura off and glanced over at Daryl, him just being near made her feel better.

* * *

Daryl felt Carol's eyes follow him all the way over to the fire where he sat down across from her. They drifted away from him and he finally looked at her. In the firelight he could truly see her. He saw the frown on her face that showed her distaste of everything around her. He saw the sorrow in her eyes at the loss of her daughter. And he saw the healing process of him just being near her. He knew he'd look too long so he looked back down at his food just as her eyes flicked up to look at him. He knew it hurt her that they never made eye contact, but if he did that she would truly see him, and he did not want to be seen. He knew she would know everything, feel everything that he was. And he did not want that. Or did he?

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

_Sorry if this chapter seems boring, I'm just setting it all up._

_But, I do hope you enjoyed it and come back for more._

_Please continue to read it and review it!_

_Yours Truly,_

**_~Daryl-Dixons-Gurl~_**


	2. Chapter 2

As Carol shot the last bullet and it landed in the walker's brain, she felt the fear grip at her. She felt it's cold, dark hand grab hold of her heart and lungs and just squeeze. She was at a loss of breath and faltered in her footsteps. Andrea shot the walkers that were near her, but she too ran out of ammo, and so she ran off. The bag of weapons slung over her shoulder made it more awkward for her, but at least she could still get away. Carol felt even more alone as she glanced up the drive to see the receding tail lights. She was going to die…and finally join Sophia. Something she'd been dreaming of since the young girl had walked out of the barn. But just as she was about to collapse to the ground she heard it. The rumble of Daryl's motorcycle. She looked up and saw him speeding towards her. "C'mon! I ain't got all day!" he snapped. Carol released a sob and ran to him. She climbed on and for the first time in a long time. She didn't feel alone, and hell, she even felt wanted.

* * *

Daryl shot nearby walkers from his safe position on his motorcycle. He was mainly still there to watch the barn as it burned and lit up the farm. Even from this distance he could feel the heat and it was causing a sweat to break out on his forehead. He turned at the sound of some more groans and shot oncoming walkers. He looked around the farm; at this spot it seemed that everyone was safe. But was Carol? He had last seen her with Andrea, and Andrea was a fair shot, but she wasn't the best. Did they make it out okay? He froze at the sound of a scream. He knew that scream. He sat back down and kicked the bike into gear and raced towards Carol. Obviously she wasn't safe. She was in danger and as he neared her, he saw her letting go. But the sound of his bike snapped her back to reality. "C'mon! I ain't got all day!" Daryl snapped. Carol ran to him and Daryl could not be more pleased. If he had left, and she was still there, he would never see her again. And he would never be able to protect her and keep her safe. This time around, he wasn't going to fail.

* * *

Carol sat beside Daryl at the fire a week later. Since the disaster at the farm, she had gotten closer to Daryl. She didn't like it when they were far from one another. She felt unprotected. Unsafe. Vulnerable. Three things Carol hated most. But still, Daryl never met her eyes. He glanced at her when she was looking at him, but never did their eyes meet. Carol knew the saying that the eyes were the windows to one's soul. But what was Daryl so afraid of? Carol simply wanted to help heal him. She could see it. She could see that he was also from an abusive home, and she simply wanted to help him.

* * *

Daryl looked up at the stars, his hands folded gently beneath his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. He could hear everyone else as they slept. Especially the woman lying just inches from him. He turned his head to look at her and saw her curled up in a ball. Not from being cold he could tell, but as a precautionary. He tore his eyes from her once again and looked back up at the night sky. He sighed lightly as he thought of the past month or so. So much had happened and it was hard to grasp it. In just the past month the only person he had left went missing and then he had failed to find him. Then, he assigned himself a new mission, protect Carol and her kid, and he couldn't even do that. He had been making his way to where he had last seen Carol and the kid when he'd found T-Dogg, bleeding out on the road. He saw Rick with the two women and children and figured they were in safe hands so he stopped and saved T-Dogg. But he had been wrong. The kid had run off. He shook his head to clear the thoughts and turned to look at Carol one last time.

* * *

Carol was unable to sleep. She had goose bumps all over her skin, but it wasn't from the chilly air, it was from fear, and her senses being so heightened. She finally opened her hazel eyes only to lock them with chocolate brown ones. She blinked a couple times to rid the sleepiness from them, only to realize it wasn't a dream. She was afraid at first because of what his brown eyes showed her. She saw the fear and anger within them. But as she shoved passed them, she saw what he had been trying to do. She finally saw what others had begun to notice. The way his eyes softened when they looked at her. She finally tore her gaze away from his eyes and let her's trail down his face to see what it showed her. It was still a mask. It refused to give up what the eyes could reveal. Disappointed by this, she looked back up at the eyes to decipher more of what was being shown to her. But as she did this, she stopped looking for the inner Daryl and just looked at his eyes. She noticed how there were light flecks of hazel in there and right around his pupil was a dark brown. She couldn't help but fall in love with these eyes and they were the last things she saw before sleep finally took over.

* * *

Daryl had been thoroughly surprised when his brown eyes had met her hazel ones. He had sworn she was asleep, but it was obvious she hadn't been. Why else would he be looking right at her? Her eyes wide as she searched his, the way he was searching her's. He could see all of the pain and loss in them. And then something else. Something he'd never seen directed towards him. He'd seen it countless times. He'd seen Lori looking at Rick that way, Maggie looking at Glenn that way, hell even Andrea glancing at Shane that way. But it was unfamiliar to him. He watched as her eyes moved to the rest of his face and he had the opportunity to actually look at her eyes. They were gray, and had green and blue flecked in there, which is what gave them the hazel color. As her eyes met his once again he saw her eyelids slowly begin to droop before finally shutting and blocking her eyes from him. Daryl let out a small gasp at this. He wasn't done! He had done it. He had opened that door and now he wanted to venture through it more. He wanted to see more of her, and let her see more of him. But it wasn't that simple was it? It would never be that simple.

* * *

Carol woke the following morning feeling as if all that had happened the night before had been a dream. An amazing dream, but a dream nonetheless. She sat up to see that Daryl was gone. She sighed a little to herself. She couldn't just ask him if it had truly happened. She would never allow herself to do that. She looked around the makeshift camp at the others who were awake as well. She finally stood up and stretched a little, a small yawn escaping her as her eyes met Lori's.

"Good morning." Lori said quietly as she made her way over to Carol.

"Good morning Lori." Carol said with a mall smile.

Lori sighed a little and looked up at the sky. "It seems to me that we are in need of true shelter for the day." She said.

Carol followed Lori's glance and saw the thunderheads rolling in. "I agree." She said. She looked around to inform Rick, only to find him still sleeping. "Should someone wake him?" she asked.

Lori looked over at Rick and then at Carl. "Carl…" she said and nodded her head at Rick.

Carl nodded and walked over to Rick and gently shook him. "Dad…time to get up." He said.

Rick sat up slowly and looked around with wonder. "Where's Daryl and Glenn?" he asked.

"Daryl went hunting and Glenn went to look for some shelter." Lori said quietly.

"Why?"

"It's going to storm." Carol said.

Rick looked up at the sky and nodded a little. "Of course." He said.

* * *

Daryl returned to camp with a couple of rabbits to see that it had been all packed up and everyone was pacing. "I got some food." He said quietly, refusing to even look at Carol. How could he? If he did he would be tempted to look into her eyes. And now was not the time for that. Even though that's all that had been plaguing his mind since he'd woke up. He just wanted another peek. But now was not the time for that.

"Thank you Daryl. But we'll eat it when we get to this place Glenn told us about. A storm is coming in and we need proper shelter." Rick said as Glenn got in the car he and Maggie had been in.

Daryl nodded and walked over to his motorcycle. He got on and took up the rear, and followed everyone out of camp. His eyes were locked on the back of the head of one of the people in the backseat of Rick's car. They soon pulled up to a barn. "I swear, I already checked it for walkers and closed the entrances so none could get in. It'll be safe. There's dry hay to lie on, and a huge pile of wood in there to use. We'll be good for a little while." Glenn said.

Daryl nodded and led the way in, only so he could get to skinning the rabbits so they could finally have a meal. His stomach grumbled as he sat down and pulled the rabbits out. As he pulled the knife out he felt her eyes on him. He fought it all he could but finally looked up at her to find out that she was sitting right next to him. "Hi." He finally said. He wasn't sure he'd ever said that to her. Never. But he could start couldn't he?

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_So what did you think?_

_I hope y'all liked it. :)_

_Keep reading and reviewing!_

_Yours Truly,_

_**~Daryl-Dixons-Gurl~**_


	3. Chapter 3

Carol was laying on the hay, staring up at the ceiling. She finally released a heavy sigh and sat up. She looked around the lit up barn to see everyone else fast asleep. She stood up and walked over to the fire, staring down into the embers. She heard a rustle and felt another presence. She looked up to see Daryl sitting across from her. "Hi." She said quietly, almost as quiet as a mouse. She had run from him earlier when he had said "hi" to her. It had been so surprising that she had to get away.

"Hi." He said with a light smile.

"Nice night huh?" she asked with a gentle smile.

Daryl nodded a little. "Yeah it is." He said. "Sorry I scared yeh off earlier."

Carol laughed lightly, "It's okay." She said. "You just surprised me was all."

Daryl nodded slowly. "I understand."

Carol sighed a little and looked back down at the embers. "How long do you think we'll stay here?" she asked wistfully.

"As long as the weather is shitty I'd say." He replied.

Carol nodded and yawned. "I'm going to sleep. Night." She said as she stood.

"Night." He said.

* * *

Carol woke the following day to the pounding of thunder and the flashes of lightning. She sat up and looked around with wonder. Almost everyone was huddled around the fire, everyone except Daryl. He was sitting over on his lump of hay. She stood and nodded at the others and went and sat with Daryl. "Mornin." He muttered as he continued to sharpen a piece of wood to be a new bolt.

"Good morning." She said. "Er, is it morning?"

Daryl chuckled a little, "Yeah. I'd say so." He said quietly. He looked over at the others, "Why aren't you over there with them?" he asked.

"I'm not that cold. And I get a little claustrophobic." She said with a shrug.

He nodded and finally looked at her. Their eyes met and his breath caught in his throat as he gazed into her eyes. "Can I just say that your ey-"

"Breakfast is ready!" Lori called.

"Okay." Carol said and turned her attention back to Daryl. "What were you about to say?" she asked.

"Nothing. Let's go get some food." He said as he stood up.

* * *

Daryl looked across the barn at the sleeping Carol. She had decided on a nap and was now curled up in her bed on the hay. The storm was still raging all around and so it was pretty dark in the large barn. Everyone else sat around the fire talking quietly, but Daryl sat on his bed, messing with his crossbow. He looked back down at his crossbow. A flash of lightning lit the barn up, and in that time, he saw Carol thrashing. He stood up slowly and the boom of thunder shook the whole place and Carol screamed out. This alerted everyone by the fire, but by the time anyone could stand, Daryl was by her side. "Carol?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. But she didn't wake. "Carol!?" he exclaimed as he shook her. Her eyes snapped open and met his. "Carol…?"

Carol released a breath. "D-Daryl? Where am I?" she asked weakly.

"In the barn with the others." He stated. Carol nodded and her eyelids slowly closed and she was asleep once again. "Carol?" he asked slowly. He finally noticed that her face was red and so he put the back of his hand to her forehead and drew it back quickly. "She's running a fever. A really high one." He said to Hershel.

"Maggie, get a washcloth and go get it wet with rain water. Daryl, we need to move her closer to the fire to keep her warm." Hershel said.

"Closer to the fire? She has a fever." Carl said.

"You have to burn the sickness out of her." Daryl stated as he picked the sleeping Carol up. Rick grabbed her bedding and some hay and laid it down a little ways from the fire pit. Daryl gently laid her down and took the wet washcloth from Maggie. He gently placed it on her forehead and sat beside her.

"Is she going to be okay Dad?" Maggie asked slowly.

"I hope so. Let's leave them be." Hershel stated as he stepped away from Carol and Daryl.

Daryl got up and grabbed his things and moved them over beside Carol. "Ya need t'get better. I have t'see yer eyes again. Those beautiful, beautiful eyes." He said quietly as he looked down at Carol's sleeping face.

* * *

_Sorry this chapter is so short. I couldn't think._

_Also sorry I took so long to upload. I had computer problems. :/_

_I hope you liked it though._

_And I hope you keep reading and reviewing._

_Yours Truly,_

**_~Daryl-Dixons-Gurl~_**


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